East African Business week reports that one of the world’s leading airlines – British Airways (BA) has concrete plans of promoting Tanzania’s tourism sector by launching a new route to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).

The BA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Willie Walsh, said due to the increasing number of tourists in Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions, plans are in the pipeline for the UK airline to start a direct flight to the region, blessed to have the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro.

“Introducing a direct flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) will give us an opportunity to promote Tanzania’s tourism in the world, and I believe there is high demand in Kilimanjaro,” he explained.

The new route will also help to lift flowers from Kilimanjaro and Arusha to the European Union (EU). Todate, stakeholders in the flower sub-sector export flowers to the EU markets via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya.